


warmth

by em_writes_imagines



Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Fluff, Mild Hurt/Comfort
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-26
Updated: 2020-06-26
Packaged: 2021-03-03 23:13:23
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 839
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24933553
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/em_writes_imagines/pseuds/em_writes_imagines
Summary: you need something to anchor you, a firm reminder of what’s real and what isn’t.
Relationships: Zuko (Avatar) & Reader, Zuko (Avatar)/Reader
Comments: 4
Kudos: 156





	warmth

_ You’re staring up at a towering wall of fire, flames edging closer and closer to you. Everyone else is on the other side. They’re screaming. At least, you assume they’re screaming; you can’t hear anything over the deafening roar of the inferno. There’s no way around. There’s no way to turn back. All there is… are concrete walls around you and a fiery death ahead. _

_ It’s unbearably hot, the heat of the flames painful and inescapable. You can hardly keep your eyes open as the overwhelming light threatens to blind you, hardly breathe through the smoke. It permeates your senses in every way, and you know. _

You know you’re going to die.

* * *

You wake up in a cold sweat, shooting up in your sleeping bag, hand over your mouth as you try not to make a sound. Your breathing comes in ragged, shaking, but as you look around, you’re thankful to see you haven’t woken up anyone else.

With a glance around the area, you remember exactly where you are. You’re not in the Fire Lord’s palace; you’re in the Western Air Temple. The only fire in sight is the dwindling campfire, and no one is missing, no one is screaming.  _ Just a dream, just a dream, just a dream, _ you tell yourself.

But, your mind is still caught in a panic. You know where you are, you know what’s happening, but the images and feelings of your nightmare… they continue to linger at the forefront of your thoughts. You could swear dreams aren’t meant to cause real pain—but the heat of that fire was far too vivid.

You can’t make the thoughts go away. You can’t slow your breathing. All you can do is try to keep quiet and not wake up the entire courtyard—

“(Y/n)?”

You jump at the sound of Zuko’s voice, turning to see him sit up in the sleeping bag beside you.

“Are you… alright?” There’s a hesitance in his voice as he looks at you, a dazed confusion in his eyes. When you shake your head though, hand still clamped over your mouth, he quickly rubs the sleep out of his eyes. “What’s wrong? Are you hurt?”

Guilt grows inside you as you take in the panicked look on his face. This shouldn’t be such a big deal, you shouldn’t be reacting like this, idiot,  _ just say something. _

“Bad dream,” you finally reply, bringing your hand down. “Really, really bad dream.”

Zuko stares at you for a moment before asking, “Are you okay?”

“I’ll be fine.” You won’t.

He hesitates again before asking, “Do you wanna talk about it?

You shake your head, unable to look at him as images of that dream spiral around in your mind.

“Well… is there anything I can do to help? Or do you want to be left alone?”

At that, you pause, your panic taking a backseat as you try to process his question. You just—you need _ something _ to anchor you, a firm reminder of what’s real and what isn’t.

With a shaky breath, you ask, “ **Can I hold your hand?** ”

You know you never would have asked that in the morning, in the daylight with everything clear, your inhibitions set in stone, but that doesn’t matter. Your thoughts are spiraling and you’ll grasp at anything to make it better, to bring you back down.

Zuko looks at you wide-eyed for a moment, then nods his head, not questioning your words as he lies back down, letting his arm rest between your sleeping bags. His hand is upturned, but you notice he doesn’t reach for you.

No, he’s letting you choose. He’s making sure you know that this is in your control.

Settling back into your own sleeping bag, you reach out and take his hand, gripping maybe a bit too forcefully at first. His skin is warm against yours, and he squeezes your hand back.

You focus on the feeling. This is  _ real _ , you are  _ alive _ .

_ You’re safe. _

“Try to get some sleep,” he says quietly, his head turned to face you. “You could use the rest.”

You stare at the ceiling for a moment longer, then look at him, a slight tremor to your voice as you ask, “What if the nightmare comes back?”

“It won’t,” he squeezes your hand again. “Trust me, alright?”

The look in his eyes is so genuine, you find yourself believing him despite the worry lingering in your mind. With a nod and a deep breath, you let your eyes fall shut, focused solely on the warmth of his hand wrapped around yours.

He doesn’t let go, not even as your grip loosens, your mind drifting off into sleep once more.

* * *

When you wake up that morning, your hand is empty, but you realize you slept peacefully through the remainder of the night. You can hear Zuko and Aang training in the distance, and there’s a warmth around you that has little to do with the summer air. Zuko was right; the nightmare didn’t come back.

**Author's Note:**

> feel free to send in requests @/em-writes-imagines on tumblr!!


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